Oktoberfest: Thousands unite as Mt. Angel hosts 100s of thousands

The first Oktoberfest in Mt. Angel was a doozy, and it set a pace and precedent for all 52 fests since.

In 1966 Mt. Angel’s population hovered somewhere between its 1960 census number, 1,428, and its 1970 figure, 1,973. Nobody can say for sure the exact population then, but they do recall that the initial Oktoberfest brought in 39,000 visitors to the small German cultured hamlet.

The glockenspiel can be appreciated year-round, not just during the Mount Angel Oktoberfest ...more

The glockenspiel can be appreciated year-round, not just during the Mount Angel Oktoberfest celebration each September.

DANIELLE PETERSON / Statesman Journal

“The one thing that always impressed me about Oktoberfest is that first year (drew) 39,000 into this town, and they really rolled it out,” said Monica Bochsler, the fest’s director of marketing.

“The stories still abound about how difficult that first year was,” added Jerry Lauzon, a U.S. Army retiree and former Oktoberfest marketing director who, like many involved in hosting this iconic mid-Willamette Valley event, can’t pull himself away from it entirely.

Lauzon said stories revealed that the initial event was a three-day affair, but by Friday night they were already running out of supplies. They raided grocery stores around the area for hot dogs and other fixings to keep the party going.

Additionally, there were two gas stations in town, and those were the only public restrooms – at a beer fest populated with that many folks!

Adjustments pulled the gala through, and learning began immediately following as the first Oktoberfest in this region was off the ground. That planning process became standard.

“Not only does Oktoberfest have a history of great attendance, there’s a history of great problem solving,” Bochsler said.

That attendance mark has grown over the decades, hitting a crescendo in 2015 when Oktoberfest celebrated its 50-year anniversary and drew an estimated 400,000. For a city with a current population in the area of 3,500, hosting that many visitors is a well-planned ordeal.

Chris Bischoff, a construction business owner and operator by day, is at the crux of that planning as he is the current Oktoberfest board president. The fest begins on a Thursday, runs through Sunday, and the following Thursday there is a meeting for evaluation of what worked well, what went not so well, and planning begins anew.

“Basically, we start setting a path for the next year,” Bischoff said.

By August’s end, Bischoff, Lauzon and Bochsler, whose day job involves health-care planning, were all hitting stride in planning for the 2017 Oktoberfest, which takes place Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 14.-17. The event schedule also includes affiliated events, like the Saturday, Sept. 9 peddle-tractor race and a kickoff party, along with a Wednesday, Sept. 13, cross country race at Silver Falls State Park.

To muster up the energy for this celebration of German culture, a slew of volunteers is necessary, generally to the tune of 7,500, according to Lauzon.

It’s a testimonial to the thousands who step up to serve in roles as varied as organizing food vendors, orchestrating the 30-plus musical combos, staffing security or simply shucking corn.

There are many beneficial spinoffs as well, such as the 50 non-profit food booths that benefit a variety of causes, and the $3.2 million in grants awarded by the Oktoberfest Board of Directors over the years.

While Lauzon applauds the “giant charitable impact," his festive enthusiasm radiates most when the conversation broaches German traditions. He spent many of his military years stationed in Germany, and a fair amount of his stateside duties training Germans.

“This wonderful event brings people together to celebrate the folk traditions of Germany,” he said. “There is more German culture here in Mt. Angel that weekend than in any one concentrated area of Germany.”

He further illustrates the German environs pointing to architectural icons, such as the Glockenspiel and the late gothic style of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, perhaps the most notable icon throughout that region of the Mid-Willamette Valley.

From the lederhosen and Alpine fedoras to the fondue and schnitzel to the nuanced polka styles, the event is rife with German traditions. But there are also some new elements each year, such as this year’s official event beverage, Volksbier brewed by Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) in Portland. The fest organizers said that brew began selling in local Roth’s market by Sept. 1.

“The last several years we’ve teamed up with a lot of different breweries,” Bischoff said.

That is one key element to the cultural event pivoting on food, music and merriment. All those elements come together as the community awaits the waning summer days to bring its usual crowds.

“Labor Day weekend is when the whole community comes together and works toward (hosting) Oktoberfest,” Bochsler said. “The Wednesday before, (the festival) literally takes over the streets.”

And the next day Mt. Angel opens its doors.

jmuch@StatesmanJournal.com or cell 503-508-8157 or follow at twitter.com/justinmuch